Package



Apr. 17, 1923. 11,452,]1M)

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Fatented Apr. 17, 1923.

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I PACKAGE.

Application filed August 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,420.

To all who m it may concem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. WHEIL- DON, a citizen of, the United States, and aresident of Ashland, in the county of Mido dlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

have invented an Improvement in Packages,

of which'the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a specification, like characters on the 1 drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to packages and the purpose is to provide as a unit for stor age or shipment a commodity enclosedin a covering of flexible sheet material. Since 35 paper or prepared material utilizing paper as a base is the more commonmaterial for such use, I shall herein for convenience refer .to the covering material as paper, using that word in a somewhat extended and gener- 341 alized sense.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the following description-taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a single embodiment of my invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed package;

Fig. 2, a perspective view showing the package in course of preparation, and with a portion broken away; and

Fig.3, a section on an enlarged scale. on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

My invention is particularly applied to packages containing commodities or articles in a compressed condition whichhave a resilient tendency and I may utilize this tendency for maintaining the integrity of the package. A particular example is the masses of more or less agglomerated material commonly referred to as bales, and I will herein refer to the package and also to the material contained within the covering as a bale.

Referring to Fig. 2, I have there shown a mass of material 5 which is to .be compressed to form a bale. This material is assembled with sheets 7 and 9-over the lower and upper faces thereof, respectively. These sheets are preferably of a waterproof nature and I prefer to use the material shown in my Patent No. 1,269,140, dated June 11, 1918, and comprising, asindicated by the broken away portion in Fig. 2, three sheets of paper connected by suitable layers-of waterproof adhesive in which are embedded reinforcing strands. Between two of the sheets are the strands 11, extending across the compound sheet in one direction from edge to edge, and between the other two sheets the strands 13 extendlng across the sheets in a relativelv transverse direction between the other two edges of the sheet.

The sheets are of such dimension that after the material 5 is compressed the side portions may be folded over the sides of the bale to cover the same and the corners of the sheets may be folded in or pleated as shown at 15 in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the two sheets 9 and 7 will form cup-like coverings, each sheet covering substantially a half of the bale. It will be understood that if the edges of the sheets are connected around the sides of the bale the covering will be complete and the material 5 will be held compressed. The improvements embodying my invention have more particularly to do with providing means whereby the connection of the sheets may be eflected and whereby such connection will be of such strength as to hold the baled material without the necessity of using any bale ties or the like.

In the form of my invention here shown I secure together the opposed edges of the covering sheets in a rolled or locked joint which will form a substantiallywaterproof closure, and to maintain them so secured'li provide suitable stifi'ening means therefor. Referring to Fig. 2, along each side of the sheet 9 I provide a bar 17 of suitable metal ,the length of which is substantially the length of the adjacent face of the bale. The bars are conveniently somewhat shorter so that there will be no possibility of their punching through the paper at the corners of the bale when the same is completed. These bars 17 are preferably hooked and may, as shown in Fig. 3, consist of a strip of metal bent longitudinally to form a hook or channel. The bars are best secured to the sheet 9 by being folded into the edge thereof. as indicated in Fig. 3. This is conveniently done by folding the edge of the sheet at 19 and inserting it into the throat of the hook formed by the bar 17 and then folding the edge portion 21 of the sheet outwardly over the bill of the hook and around the back thereof. There is thus provided a sheet as shown in Fig. 2having stifiening elements which provide means for engaging it with another sheet along each side thereof but spaced from the corners B to provide at the corners of the sheet readily foldable portions which may be gathered into pleats as shown at 15 in Fig. 1. Similar elements 23 are secured in the edges of the sheet 7 but in this case the hooks are made to face inwardly so as to engage with the hooks 17 as shown in Fig. 3.

The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, the whole is subjected to pressure in a suitable press until the desired degree of compression is obtained, as indicated by the lesser height of the completed bale in Fig. 1 as contrasted with Fig-2. The edges of the sheets 7 and 9 are then folded over the sides of the bale and the corner portions are folded into the pleats 15, thus providing as indicated in Fig, 1 two cup-like elements substantially the entire edge of each of which is stiffened by the bars 17 or 23. The

compression of the material 5 is such that -when the side portions of the sheet 7 are folded upwardly over the already downwardly folded si'de portions of the sheet 9, the bill of hook 23 will clear the bill of hook 17. Compression is then slightly released and the material 5 in expanding will draw the hook portions into engagement as indicated in Fig. 3, and the bale may be entirely removed from the press and will be firmly held in the enclosing covering by the interengageinent of the edges in the rolled joint which will not straighten out because of the comparative stiflness of the metal. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the hooks may be quite fiat and the strain is applied to them in such a way that there is'comparatively little tendency for them to straighten out. The tension exerted on the covering will hold the pleats 15 pressed against the bale and retain the two coverings in their cup-like folded form. Since the bars 17 and 23 extend substantially to the corners of the bale forming substantially complete margins for the cups there are no loose portions which might work free.

Asalready described, the hooked bars are preferably secured by being folded into the edges of the sheets, as in this manner an even tension is secured and the entire width of the sheet is utilized to resist'the bursting strain of the compressed material 5. There is no localized strain at the joints which might tend to start a rupture in one place. Furthermore, in the reinforced material, as described, the reinforcing strands 11 and 13, as the case may be, extend across the bale from side to side and are engaged with opposed pairs of bars and form a strain-resisting network directly anchored to the bars.

The bars are completely rotected against rustin by the waterproo sheet material enclosing the same.

To open the .package it is subjected to pressure and the hooks may then be readily isengaged by first unfolding one of $116 pleats 15. Of course, if desired, the package may be opened by cutting one of the sheets. The package is firmly held engaged by the resiliency of the compressed material and since the entire edgewise strength of the sheet material is utilized, ample strength is provided to retain compression upon the material without injury to the package. Since the bale is held uniformly over its surface, local bulging is obviated and a package of more regular form which can be more conveniently stowed with others is provided for.

Having thus described a single form of my invention as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A package comprising a compressed commodity and a covering therefor comprising paper sheets on the upper and lower faces thereof folded over the sides, interlocked pairs of bars at each side of the package, opposed edges of the 'two sheets being folded about the bars of a pair.

2. A package as described in claim 1 wherein strands are incorporated with each sheet extend between opposite edges thereof and are bent over said bars.

3. An element for wrapping purposes comprising a polygonal sheet, hooked bars corresponding to each side and folded in the edges thereof, said bars being shorter than the sides and terminating at a distance from the corners of the sheet whereby to provide a pleatable portion at each corner.

4. A bale comprising a compressed commodity and a covering of flexible sheet material about the same having opposed edges at the sides of the bale, stiffening hooks about which said edges are folded, said hooks being interengaged and held by the resiliency of the commodity.

5. A bale comprising a compressed commodity and a covering therefor comprising two elements of paper folded into cu -like form having opposed edges at the si es of the bale and opposed hooks carried by said edges and held in engagement by the resiliency of the commodity the tension on the elements through said hooks aidin to retain them in the folded state over t e commodity.

6. .A bale comprising a compressed commodity and a covering therefor comprising two cup-like elements of paper having opposed edges at the sides of the bale, hooked bars corresponding in length to the sides of the bale and secured to said edges, opposed bars being arranged normally to be held in engagement by the resiliency of the commodity, one of said elements having a fullness at the corner of the bale to facilitate disengagement of said hooks.

7. A package comprising a comprefied commodity and a covering therefor 00131- prising paper sheets'on the upper and lower faces thereof and folded over the sides; opposed edges of said sheets being folded together in a locked joint and/stiffening elements associated-with said edges to maintain the foi'm of the joint.

8. A package covering comprising a pair of sheets folded into cup-like form cooperatively to enclose the contents of the package, pairs of interconnected stiff elements at the sides of the package of approximately the same length as the sides, the edges of the sheets being engaged with said elements substantially throughout the length such elements forming margins substantially coextensive With the cup and by the mutual tension of their interengagement servlng to i9. A package covering comprising a pair of sheets folded into cup-like form cooperatively to enclose the contents of the package, pairs of interconnected stifi' elements at .the sides of the package of approximately the same length as the sides, the edges of the sheets being folded over said elements such elements forming margins substantially coextensive with the cup and by the mutual tension of their interengagement serving to retain the sheets in folded condition over the contents of the package,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification,

WILLIAM M. WHEiLDoN. 

